A vehicle driven by internal combustion engines is the primary type of vehicle driven worldwide today and is expected to be so well into the future. As such, the need for standard lead-acid 12 volt batteries, or their functional equivalents, to provide starting current will also be necessary well into the future. Therefore, the surprise inconveniences of having those batteries lose their charge at inopportune times and places will continue also. Battery failure is particularly common in locations with extreme cold weather such as Alaska and Canada, or extreme hot weather such as Arizona and Nevada. In such places, starting batteries may become inoperable without notice, causing great inconvenience if not creating life threatening circumstances.
Internal combustion engine vehicles typically have a single 12-volt lead-acid starting battery. Although there have been commercially unsuccessful attempts to market batteries with an integrated, manually connectable backup battery cell. There are also portable batteries on the market designed to jump dead starting batteries. However, looking at the battery arrangements in most late model vehicles, it is evident that a useful and convenient backup battery system has yet to become a commercial success. Hence, there is a need for systems and methods for providing backup starting current to a vehicle effortlessly while using a vehicle and without imposing additional maintenance burdens on a vehicle owner.